Abide in an abode

The word “abide” is such a fascinating word. The Apostle John seems to be particularly fond of it, too. In all of his writings, he uses this word 68 times—40 of those occurrences are found in the Gospel of John. As you can probably guess, this word is a key theme in his gospel account.

Since this word is so important, what does it actually mean? Good question. The Greek root word is μενω (meno), which I often pronounce like “minnow.” The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the New Testament defines μενω as “the relation in which one person or thing stands with another, chiefly in John’s writings; thus, to remain in or with someone, i.e., to be and remain united with him—one with him in heart, mind, and will.” In essence, John uses this word to describe the act of making a home in Christ.

Most of the time, when you think of home, you think of comfort, peace, and familiarity. When we think of Christ, do we associate those same words with Him? Do you find comfort in Christ? Are you at peace in Christ? How familiar are you with Christ?

To better understand this word, let’s look at John 15:4-5:

“4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

In this passage, Jesus encourages His apostles to abide in Him. He desires that they become fruit-bearing branches. The way to accomplish this is by remaining connected to the True Vine—which, as Jesus already told them in John 15:1, is Himself.

At this moment, the apostles had just received the news that Jesus was going to leave them (John 14:26-31). This naturally raises an important question: “How can they abide in Christ when He is no longer physically with them?”

Jesus answers this in John 15:3

“Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.”

Then, in John 15:7, He reassures them:

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

How comforting is that? That’s exactly the point Jesus is making to His apostles. Even though He will no longer be physically present, His words will remain with them. And through His words, they can continue to abide in Him.

That same principle applies to us today. We abide in Christ by letting His words abide in us. We become familiar with Christ by reading about the life He lived and sacrifice for us. We find comfort in Christ by trusting in His promises. We experience peace in Christ by allowing His word to shape our lives.

So the question remains: Are you abiding in Christ?

— Matt Jones